Full Unit History

Regimental History

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

The 118th, a three year eastern theater unit also known as the "Adirondak Regiment" was formulated during the summer of 1862 with recruits from Clinton, Essex and Warren counties. Mustered in at Plattsburg, it left the state 1,040 strong on 6/3/62.

The regiment served in the defenses of Washington City until April, 1863 when it was ordered to Suffolk, VA. While there it was present during the battles of Antioch Church 10/16-11/7/1862 and Baker's Crossroads 5/16/1863. During actions at South Anna Bridge it lost 11 killed, wounded and missing.

The 118th next performed garrison and guard duty for several months at Yorktown, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News, VA. It then took part in the campaign against Richmond as part of Union Gen. Butler's Army Of The James. During this period it saw action at Port Walthall Junction, Chester Station, Swift Creek, Proctor's Creek and Drewry's Bluff 5/15/1862. At the last mentioned battle it lost 199 killed, wounded and missing.

With Union Gen. U.S. Grant on 12 of June 1864 the New Yorkers fought gallantly during the battle of Cold Harbor. There it lost another 32 killed and wounded. During the first Federal assaults on Petersburg which followed, the 118th lost 21 killed and wounded. It was next severely engaged at Fort Harrison losing there another 67 killed/wounded and during the Richmond advance along the Darbytown Road its ranks were once more severely depleted, 111 being killed, wounded or pronounced missing.

In the trenches before Petersburg the unit lost another 43 killed and wounded. With the fall of Richmond on 4/2/65 the 118th was said to have been the first organized Federal unit to enter that former stronghold. Final muster was at Richmond on 6/13/65.

Family History

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The Monty family surname is descended from a clan that settled in the far northeast corner of New York State near the U.S./Canada border during the 1760’s and 1770’s. A paternal ancestor of the family and six of his sons fought in the American Revolutionary War. A few more fought in the War of 1812. The Monty’s were a tough group of individuals.

Nothing is known about William's childhood, formative and teenaged years. Further - and interestingly so - his whereabouts are not listed in the Monty family census tallies for 1850 and 1860.

Beyond his birth, the first information pertaining to William comes from his enlistment in the U.S. Army infantry on 11/27/63. His unit of choice was the 118th NY in which five other Monty’s were active: Louis (likely Lewis), Leroy, Seymour, Warren and Allen.

At enlistment William's vital statistics were as follows: Height - 5' 10.5"; Eyes - hazel; Hair - brown; Complexion - dark. His occupation was noted as "butcher." Of interest is the fact that Private Monty was reportedly married. All that is known pertaining to his alleged spouse is that her name was Adeline.

For enlisting the new Private Monty received what appears to have been a $200 - $300 signing bonus or "bounty", $60 of which was paid up front with the balance to come in later increments. The enlistment was credited to New York's 16th Congressional District. Upon joining his regiment in January/February, 1864 from the Elmira, NY rendezvous depot he also received a one month, $13 pay advance and a "premium" of $2.

In May, 1864 Union forces under Gen. U.S. Grant began moving southward into Virginia on the Overland Campaign which, approximately one year later, would bring an end to four years of bloody civil war. During that year some of the most devastating fighting of the conflict would occur including the 6/2/64 Federal bloodbath at Cold Harbor. During this horrendous action our Private Monty was wounded. Sent to the hospital, he was transferred north and on 6/10 was admitted to McDougall Gen. Hospital located at Ft. Schuyler in New York. There, all or part of his right index (trigger) finger was amputated.

On 7/15/64 Private Monty was furloughed from the army to recover from his wounding. Here matters in William's life become clouded as it appears that instead of returning to the military service he deserted. No definitive details, however, are available pertaining to the occurrence.

William, along with Adeline, next appears in the 1870 U.S. Census in the community of Raymond located in Racine County, Wisconsin. According to National Archives researcher Jonathan Deiss, the Monty’s reportedly remained there through William's November 28, 1889 death up to Adeline's (ca. 1930) passing. While no burial site for William has yet been located in Wisconsin the question has to be asked: If he died (and was buried) in Wisconsin, who, then, was buried in 1899 "under" a tombstone bearing his name located in Everett, Washington's Evergreen Cemetery?

It is researcher Deiss' theory that the individual buried in Everett is William's younger, sometimes ne'er-do-well brother, Leroy Laban "L.L." Monty. He believes L.L. stole his late older brother's identity and moved west settling, by February 1889, in the Norman postal district of Everett, Snohomish County, WA. From there, using William's name, he applied to the Federal Land Office in Seattle, King County, WA for a tract of homestead land located north of Everett in the Arlington/Sylvanna region of Snohomish County. *****************

L.L. Monty died in the hospital at Everett, WA on 7/7/99. Cause of death was a gunshot wound to the left breast, with the bullet lodging in the neck. The fatal shot had been fired by one Simon Fox, a "friend" of Mr. Monty, with whom he became involved in a domestic dispute over his (Monty's) wife, Louise.

North of Everett, in Arlington/Sylvanna L.L. had been known by his real name. Why then, if it was he that was subsequently buried in Evergreen's G.A.R. indigent section, was it under his brother's name? Clerical mix-up? Continuing identity theft lie?????? We will likely never know the answers to these and other loose-end Monty questions